Stories for the Kid Next Door

About the Author

Quirky, refreshing and quick-witted, Emma Holland is one of Australia's most original young talents. A comedian, collage artist and photographer, Emma's multi-hyphenated profile continues to rise. She is a regular panellist on the award-winning comedy shows Have You Been Paying Attention?, Thank God You're Here, 7Days and has hosted multiple episodes of The Cheap Seats. Emma is also a regular writer on The Cheap Seats, Have You Been Paying Attention?, Taskmaster S5 as well as awards shows The AACTA's and The Logies After growing up as a military kid in between Australia and Indonesia, Emma started comedy in 2018 and has gone from strength to strength since. A runner up in RAW Comedy and selected cast member for The Comedy Zone, Emma very quickly made her mark as a live performer. Her ambitious live shows are a combination of lighting, multimedia and live action collage. Her 2023 hour Save The Orangutans, a show exploring her international upbringing, was a Moosehead Award recipient and secured her a nomination for Most Outstanding Show at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. In 2024, Emma took this show to Edinburgh Fringe where she achieved sold out shows and rave reviews. Her 2024 show, Here Comes Mr. Forehead, boasted a sold-out season at the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, sold-out shows across Australia and glowing reviews. As an artist, Emma has achieved success in her own right. Emma holds a Bachelor of Visual Art from her studies at the Australian National University and the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design. After graduating in 2016, Emma went on to display her first Solo exhibition The Neighbourhood in Canberra, Australia. In 2020 during the pandemic, Emma received a grant from the Museum of Brisbane as part of their Artists@Home initiative where she created a series of collages exploring the rhythm of comedy in a visual form. In 2023 Emma was selected as a recipient of the ABC's Fresh Blood initiative in which she wrote and directed web series, Fine Art. A parody of unsettling 90s kids TV, Fine Art demonstrated Emma's strong visual sensibilities, comedic acting and original writing. Emma's strange PowerPoint presentations have garnered her a following of 30k on TikTok and millions of views. In 2025, Emma will tour her new hour stand-up, Don't Touch My Trinkets as well as appearing on the 4th season of Taskmaster Australia. "21st Century oddball comedy at its finest" -The Music "Observational comedy that transcends written languages to cross cultural boundaries" -The Comics Comic "Holland is an expert at pulling out the rug from beneath her audiences...artfully constructed punchlines" -The Age